Wedding or Marriage?
marriage = the ceremony of becoming husband and wife considered from a purely religious or legal point of view Her parents are against the marriage wedding = the occasion when this ceremony takes place and the celebrations that follow it I never see most of my relatives apart from at weddings. Why didn’t you invite me to your marriage? ✕ Why didn’t you invite me to your wedding? ✓ I have just received your marriage invitation ✕ I have just received your wedding invitation ✓
Rent or rent out?
rent = occupy or use something (land, building, car, etc.) for rent (payment) We don’t own our house, we rent it from Mr. Jorty On vacation to Bangalore, we rented a car to get about There are villas for rent in the city rent out = allow someone to use something in return for payment My brother has a villa that he rents out to tourists The company rents out office space to business She rents out one of her rooms to students If you don’t…
Improvise or improve?
improvise – create and perform (music, drama, or verse) spontaneously or without preparation; speak impromptu A good actor should be able to improvise in case he forgets his dialogue. The pianist improvised an accompaniment to the song. Carnatic musician Dr. V.R. Dilipkumar is an expert in raga improvisation. – produce or make something from what is available An improvised meal for unexpected guests We improvised a mattress from a pile of blankets. improve = become or make better Her health is improving The government should take…
Alumnus, alumna, alumni, alumnae
alumnus = boy or man who was a pupil or student of a school, college or university IIM-Calcutta alumnus Shyam Srinivasan is the MD and CEO of Federal Bank. alumna = girl or woman who was a pupil or student of a school, college or university Ms. Moly Sunny is an alumna of St. Joseph’s College, Irinjalakkuda. Chanda Kochhar, the MD and CEO of ICICI bank is alumna of University of Mumbai alumni is the plural of alumnus (can include women also) Mammootty and Salim…
Layout or Outlay?
layout=the plan, design or arrangement of something laid out A model railway layout. The layout of the apartment was good, but the kitchen was too small. She designed the page layout for the school souvenir outlay=An amount of money spent for a particular purpose, esp., as a first investment in something We plan an initial outlay of Rs. 50,000/- on machinery. A modest outlay on imported equipment.
Unused or disused?
unused = not used; fresh; new You can get a refund on the unused tickets. All the unused cheque leaves were surrendered to the bank. Unused car, unused furniture, etc. disused = no longer being used; abandoned Beware of the disused well near the playground. This bridge was used until the 2000s and then fell into disuse. Long periods of disuse can damage batteries. Disused mine, disused warehouse, etc. Unused to also means unaccustomed to She was quite unused to this way of life
Artist or Artiste?
Artist = a person who produces works in any of the arts subject to aesthetic criteria [ahr-tist] 1) Leonardo Da Vinci is one of the most famous artists in the world. 2) She is a tattoo artist in Cochin. 3) You’re an artist! 4) He is the greatest living artist. Artiste = a skilled performer, especially a dancer, singer, or actor [ahr-teest] 1) Famous cine artiste Jagadish will be the chief judge. 2) Sambasivan is the most famous Kathaprasangam artiste from Kerala. 3) mime artiste, cine…
Magnet or Magnate?
magnate = a person of power or influence (often in a specified area) 1) M A Yusuf Ali is a business Magnate from Kerala who owns the Lulu group of companies. 2) She was a magnate in the newspaper industry. 3) Real estate magnate, Media magnate, political magnate, property magnate. magnet = something that attracts (iron) 1) Kids took out a magnet from the damaged motor. 2) I love Fridge magnets. 3) Earth behaves like a big magnet 4) Munnar is a magnet for tourists…
Prove your Mettle
Mettle refers to what a person is made of. It is a person’s ability to cope well with difficulties; endurance; determination; courage. 1) France showed their mettle by defeating Argentina in the FIFA World Cup. 2) It’s time for you to prove your mettle 3) The competition will test her mettle. metal=opaque, lustrous elements that are good conductors of heat and electricity They are generally malleable, ductile and dense compared to other elements. 1) Aluminium is a metal and hence readily conducts heat. 2) metal…
Prescribe versus Proscribe
prescribe = recommend as something beneficial; to give medical prescriptions 1) The doctor prescribed three months of physical therapy for my leg injury. 2) You are bound to follow the rules as prescribed by the authorities. proscribe = forbid, especially by law. 1) Regulations proscribe the use of mobile phones in the examination halls. 2)The education department proscribed the controversial portion from the syllabus.